Karl

No ego=death So, in that sense, yes, giving and receiving are meaningless concepts. A corpse can do neither intentionally.

No, not at all, it was only a reflection on your observation that no one apologised to you because they lacked humility. I don't expect apologies, so, for me the entire illusion of humility being important is laughable. I think if someone tries to stab me then they had reason to do so, I don't know what that reason is, but I know that if they acted dishonourably, that the action is not without reaction. That is to say, if their aim is true and noble I don't feel the cut, it is well played and therefore I cheer; if it is not honourably done and poorly aimed then it is they who feel the pain. I think this is the same with martial arts. No one minds a well aimed, pure, punch, but a badly aimed dirty punch is a ricochet landing in the mind and body of the betrayer. Why compound the pain of an opponent by wishing a few poor words, unless your need and your attitude is just as slovernly and corrupt. A bad opponent should apologise to themselves for the damage to their own integrity and pride from being so dishonest. So, it tells a story about your own unease with yourself than it does about your opponents humility, or lack of. Use it as a lesson, or ignore it, it's you who ultimately pay any costs. I would cite it as Karma, but not in the sense others mean it.

It isn't perhaps as interesting from an astronomical point of view as from an historical one. When the moon was much closer there was no human life on Earth, when it gets much further away we don't yet know how that will impact human existence. So it's coincidental isn't quite so coincidental, but of necessity. It is there and because it is there we can be here and observe it being there.

Isn't it weird that the moon almost precisely covers the disc of the Sun during an eclipse. It's neither significantly smaller, or larger. Perfect.

Reason and logic. It worked well for Sherlock and every brilliant scientific discovery ever made. Finding a puppy is harder given the possibilities and even the greatest doctors can't diagnose every disease. There is no sure thing in life. Learn from the past, read, talk to people who made similar steps, figure our what's important to you, then crack on. As a great business mentor of mine once said "it's no problem to fail in business, do it often, but always do it cheaply". He had 100 plus businesses over 20 years, of which 90% failed within 2 years, the others performed poorly except one. That one business made him a multi millionaire, but he talked more about his failures, the real source of his wisdom. Funnily enough I used a crystal pendulum and a combination of an internal traffic light method to tap into my inner power.....woo woo :-)

Except that is only a story and it looks to me like the altruists have been fiddling with it. This is no different to the bible. Love the brother as thyself, turn the other cheek. This is the easiest way to get obedience from subjects. Just tell them they are better off poor, that this is the way to heaven. Meanwhile they inhabit grand palaces and employ armies of scribes to send out their propaganda amongst those who are foolish enough not to question.

I would agree with your friend, I didnt like using any of those techniques even though permission was given and a full inventory taken of the client- past traumas, psychiatric episodes, depression, drug use etc. I had a lot of success at a benign level, but, you are messing with people's heads and from my viewpoint today, most people have no idea of the importance of consciousness and therapists often underestimate the effect they can have. We were told by our trainers that 'we couldn't break anything' so we should try things until we hit on the most effective tool to create client change.

I don't mind on my threads and it isn't me that takes them off topic, but if they go that way then they do, that's the Tao for ya

I love the forum and theres the proof. Job well done mods and admin :-)

@ MH. ;-)

LOL is that irony, hypocrisy or arrogance .....or maybe it's all three ?

Can't stop a good fantasy......

How is that the same ? I dont ask for compliance on threads I've started and I respect the threads of those who ask to keep it on track if they began the thread. Either suits me, but, off topic and general threads rarely stay on track long, that's in the nature of 'general' rather than 'specific'. Keep on pushing for more regulation and it will end up just like the AYP forum devoid of much use. The tougher the stance the fewer will be interested. You will get your way alright, there will be no one new to contest, argue or give differing input, it will become a grave yard of those that agree on so much they no longer require a forum at all. If I were you I would welcome difference, argument and left field input as long as it remains respectful and isn't spam. If you want to pool off into a huddle of protectionist like minded, go ahead, there are plenty of other forums to take those who want to contribute, then let the tumbleweed blow through Dao bums. I warn you in advance that this is always the graveyard of forums.

Too many who can't stop poking into general/off topic when there is an enormous number of specific and private areas. Then they dislike what they read in those areas and can't help but attempt to engage in talk of censorship and application of restrictions/rules. Makes me laugh really when the entire point of spiritual progression is to promote freedom of mind from bodily cares. What happened to all those still minds and living in the moment.....poof......get out the whips, gags, restraints, ban the heretics, force them to reverence. Not going so well.

We judge the values of things to us, with our internal scales. Justice, as in law, has to be objective or it can't work. This is what I have been saying, we can't have floating abstract law/justice. We have to arrive at laws not by whim but by reason and reason must be proven by direct perception of material existence. The leaves, to the roots and Earth. Laws and judgement have to be defined by reality even if they are conceptual. The tree has to grow in some-thing, it cannot float languidly in the air. Whenever we act from whim, or emotion we get into a bloody great mess, our judgements go south and justice is just a meaningless noise.

Compensation is a facet of justice, of judgement. I would ask 'compensation for what'? If we need compensation then we must in some sense judge ourselves victims of someone. Fairness is subjective mysticism, there is justice, truth, productivity, honesty, integrity and the use of the mind to see this rationally.

I'm always alone in my mind :-) twos definitely one too many. Nature is everywhere from our toe nails to the dog shit on the sidewalk. There is no need to 'go' anywhere to be with nature, but a stroll on a river bank, or climbing a rock face on a bright summer morning can be exhilarating. I don't do fishing, but I'm sure it's similar, alone with our thoughts, or no time for thinking. Motorcycling does it for me, can't go thinking off the job or bad things happen at high speeds. I did all those 'spiritual' things over a very long time, not in the space of a few years. I was experimenting with 'out of body' experiences at the age of 11. Even read transactional analysis before I was 13. I had a mother that loved it all and still does. If she wasn't sitting under pyramids and chanting mantras, we were discussing Von danikin and every crank book we had lining the shelves. My brother has a blog on NDE, so you know, we lived that shit from dusk to dawn.

So was I, but I did it anyway.

Very true, but then we must first know what we desire, why we desire it, what it will do and how we can get it. These things aren't always the easiest to determine.

You could choose to see it as it is, not as you believe it to be. I don't see it as you do. Selfishness, competition are life and productivity. they are the freedom to live, think and produce. There is no other way no matter how it is sliced, every attempt to harness it has been made by men who feared freedom and did not wish to produce. People think of that as harsh, that the universe is malevolent and that men's souls are black; but I see it as dynamic, spiritual life operating in a benevolent universe. Life is tough but something, death is easy and nothing. Existence is and non existence is not. We get to chose and that's the beauty of it. Not all lives are pleasant, but neither are all lives unpleasant. Some thank and some curse.

Sure thing, I get it:

Economics is the science of mans actions, so, without any actions there is no man. A living organism is about movement, economics is about that movement, once it stops, no movement, no life. It's only boring if one is comitted to fishing without caring to catch any fish :-) My mind was sufficiently filled with mysticism thank you. ;-) my cup fair overfloweth with the mysticisms. 50+ years of it man and boy. I doubt there is much I have not imbibed, practiced nor preached at one time or another. From gods as astronauts, to crystal healing, through positive thinking, manifest thinking, living in the now, meditating, astral flying, lucid dreaming, religions of several varieties to socialist collectivism, atheism, agnosticism. All colours and many T shirts. I still enjoy the complexities of men and to drop tiny pebbles on the roofs of their places of worship.

Never heard of him. I keep my own counsel.

There are valid reasons. Certain crutches help, but once they are regarded as truths then people begin to rely on them. It's hard to wean anyone off a crutch they believe they believe they don't have. So, when you say spirituality I would imply-in your terms-make believe/mysticism. A bit of the thing which ails can be a fine medicine, but too much is poison.

Take advantage of the ignorance of others you mean :-) My spirituality is my ego. I like it very much and have sworn to protect it against anyone who would try and purloin it. Of course I'm more of realist than you are, your philosophy is like a dry biscuit caught between the mouth and the stomach. ;-) in the nicest possible way. It suits you at present, but then you don't know what it might be like if you took a drink and washed it down. It might feel better, but then you might miss that irritation. Some just like it.